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Comments from recent graduates

ATTENDANCE AT CONFERENCES

‘Thanks to the Gabo Trust I was able to follow up the invitation to kick-off the first AIC session of the newly-formed specialist group Contemporary Art Network (AIC-CAN!) presenting our research results  on the revision of the Decision-Making Model for Contemporary Art Conservation and Presentation and to announce the new online publication on that topic to a broad, international audience.

‘And, moreover, the Gabo Trust Grant enabled me to attend a two-day workshop at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston on the Documentation and Risk Assessment of Complex Time-based Artworks. The workshop was extremely helpful in order to both share/ disseminate [knowledge] and discuss the content of the revised Decision-making Model within a group of interested and motivated conservation professionals working with challenging artworks’

Julia Giebler, Associate Conservator, Cologne Institute of Conservation,on her experience at the 2019 AIC (American Institute of Conservation) AGM in New England

 

‘From so-called ‘traditional’ session themes such as Collection Care… to disruptive topics such as Leadership and Strategic Thinking, New Conservator or Having it Large, the conference offered opportunities for engaging with diverse content, mostly delivered with passion and rigour. Besides plenary and breakout sessions, the conference held many workshops and demonstrations that brought to Icon19 a practical component that sometimes is missing from conferences within the field’

Helia Marcal, Fellow in Contemporary Art Conservation and Research at Tate, on her experience at Icon19 conference

 

‘Receiving the Gabo Trust Grant had a positive impact on my continuing professional development, not only for the opportunity to participate to an international conference, learning from other professionals experiences, sharing collaborative research, and strengthening my professional network, but also offered the chance to focus more on the content developments to be presented at the conference, without wasting more energies and worries on budget issues, which otherwise would have compromised my attendance to the event. The grant [which was] perceived as a sign of trust in the research outcomes, inspired and gave motivation to develop further researches.’

Flavia Parisi, PhD student at Polytechnic of Valencia, on her experience at Living Matter conference, in Mexico City 2019

 

‘I consider the Gabo Trust a very important institution that enables and encourages education [and] culture throughout the world with its generous grants. It is only in this way that professionals can travel to different international meetings’

Mercedes de las Carreras, Chief of the Collection Management department of the Museum of Fine Arts in Buenos Aires, grant recipient who attendedLiving Matter conference, in Mexico City 2019

 

MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY SCULPTURE COLLECTION SURVEYS

‘The completion of this project has shown the value of rationalising the storage of the collection of models, maquettes and small sculptures. It has increased the capacity of the store, while the boxes offer both protection and a means of identification without marking the object. Having surface cleaned the works before packing means that most are ready for display when they are next required, apart from those requiring more extensive conservation treatment. The success of the project has resulted in Leeds Museums and Galleries’ agreement to extend the method to 117 further small sculptures in the collection.’

Rebecca Wade, Assistant Curator (Sculpture) at Leeds Museums and Galleries which received a grant for a modern and contemporary sculpture collection survey in 2017, and a grant towards storage equipment in 2019

 

‘The survey has provided the means to plan for future conservation work and is a key element in our discussions around developing  in-house expertise and studio provision. The process itself was extremely useful in  raising awareness across the galleries of the need for this skill set and allowed an improved baseline of condition information to be gathered.’

Jacqueline Ridge, Keeper of Conservation at National Galleries of Scotland

 

‘Being involved with the survey has enabled me to broaden my conservation knowledge by learning about a discipline other than my own of paintings, and I should now be able to transfer these skills to other items in our collection’

Rebecca Moisan, Conservation Officer, Southampton City Art Gallery

 

‘The survey’s recommendations for display, handling, storage and maintenance, will enable increased public access to our sculpture collection’

Simon Martin, Artistic Director, Pallant House Gallery